hoot!" he added, in broken English. "We mean you no
harm."

"Up with your hands, then," went on Larry, resolved to make the most
of the situation, even though the gun was empty; and four hands went
promptly into the air, for the two men before him were as cowardly as
they were unprincipled.

There was an awkward silence for several seconds, while boy and men
surveyed each other. Larry lowered the gun slightly, but still kept
his finger on the trigger. He noted that the newcomers appeared to be
unarmed, although they had both knives and pistols hidden upon their
persons.

"You are an _Americano_ sailor, not so?" asked one of the Spaniards.

"I am," was Larry's prompt reply. "Are you one of Aguinaldo's
rebels?"

"No, no! We are no rebels--we are peaceful Spanish gentlemen," put in
the second Spaniard.

"Do you belong here?"

"I belong here," said the man who had first spoken. "My brother, he
belongs at Manila."

The brother mentioned shot an angry glance at the speaker. "Yes, I
come from Manila," he said. "But I belong truly in Spain, being a
merchant of Madrid."

"Well, our war with you folks is over," said Larry, slowly, hardly
knowing how to proceed. "If you are not going to help the rebels, you
ought to help us. We are doing all we can for your prisoners out
here," he added, meaning the Spaniards that were being held by the
forces under General Aguinaldo--soldiers who were captured during the
struggle between Spain and her Philippine colonies.

"We can do but little," came with a shrug of the shoulders. "We are
not armed, and if we help the _Americanos_, Aguinaldo says he will
behead all the Spanish prisoners he is holding." Such a threat was
actually made, but it is doubtful if the Filipinos would have been
base enough to carry it out.

"We came in here not to make trouble," went on the second Spaniard.
"We came to learn what the firing means. Are the _Americanos_ coming
here in force?"

"They are."

"Then Santa Cruz is doomed," groaned the Spaniard. He dropped his
hands and began to pace the warehouse floor. "I shall lose much if the
city falls. The rebels will burn all my property, for they hate me."

"I trust not," answered Larry, his fear of the pair gradually leaving
him. "Hark to that!" he added, as the rattle of guns was again heard.
"Our men must be coming in fast, and orders are to save everything
that can be saved. If the rebels--"

He broke off short as a cry from Luke reached him. Ru